Enough of symbolism and these escapist themes of purity and innocence.

This is an analysis for a scene that I adore.  This is most likely my favorite opening scene in all of cinema.  If you have been unfortunate enough to not see this scene, please click on this.

The tracking shot establishes that the protagonist is in a traffic jam.  Inside of the car, we see the main character, from behind.  A pan is used to display what Guido is looking at. He sees a man is staring at him, then that man glances toward a sleeping woman, only to glance back at Guido.  It pans back to inside the car, as Guido wipes away something not seen on the windshield.  This is the first hint as to why this may be a dream, as Guido is wiping away nothing.  Another hint is the lack of sound (cars running, horns etc.)  As the camera pans further, we see more people are staring at him, as smoke starts to emanate from inside the car.  This is another clue that this may be a dream, as the smoke in unexplained.  The camera pans back to Guido trying to break out of the car, unsuccessfully, it cuts to many people staring aimlessly, most likely at Guido.  There is also a bus filled with people, faces unseen and with their arms sticking out of the windows.  A close crane shot follows Guido’s attempts at escape, while also revealing more people staring at him.

            A cut is then made to Guido’s mistress, though this is yet unknown within the film, as this is the opening scene.  An older man is looking at her, caressing her.  A pan is made, revealing even more people staring, right at Guido’s smoke filled car.  A cut is made to Guido emerging from the car, onto the roof.  Another crane shot is utilized to reveal that pretty much everyone in the traffic jam is staring at him.  The crane pans to the right to reveal Guido is floating above all of the cars.  This cements the idea that this is, in fact, a dream sequence.  This can be read as being Guido’s re-birth.  He is out from a confined area, free to move about and explore the world.  From a cultural perspective, Guido’s pose can be compared to the of Christ.  This fits within the film , as it explores questioning faith.  Also, the director used an image of Christ floating through the air in his previous film, La Strada.  This film is seen as very personal and sort of an Autobiography of Fellini himself.  The lighting in the beginning in the traffic jam increases the anxiety of the situation while simultaneously supports the re-birth perspective.  Once Guido has escaped the darkness of the “womb” the sun is seen for the first time in the film, illuminating over Guido’s body.

            Guido continues to float above everything and eventually floats into the sky.  The camera cuts to a first person perspective, with Guido turning through the air.  He then floats past a piece of scenery Guido is to use in his next film.  A cut is made to just a man on a horse, perhaps the antithesis of a traffic jam, as there is not machinery, just one horse with plenty of space.  The camera follows him then, pans down to reveal another man on the beach.  These two men are producers on the film Guido is working on.  Yet again, this is unknown as this is just the beginning of the film.  The camera cuts to another, probably perspective shot to reveal that Guido is no longer allowed to float wherever he wants to, as the producer has a string tied around his foot.  This is an obvious metaphor for the studios reducing his artistic possibilities, and the limits of their set time constraints.  The producer then yanks Guido back to earth.  As Guido then slams into the ocean, dream sequence ends.  What appears to be Guido's hand arises.  A dream to end the sleep.